Page 20 - EW November 2024

Education News

Writing in the online News complaints from Burdwan
Minute (October 16), Vinay Kambi- Medical College and Hos-
pura, head, Department of English, pital (BMCH) trainee doc-
St. Joseph’s College of Commerce tors, the dean of students’
(Autonomous), Bengaluru says that welfare at BMCH has been
IIM-B’s demotion of Prof. Malghan is transferred. Moreover,
an indicator of “how brazenly shame- 7,051 CCTV cameras have
less” academic institutions have been installed, 893 new
become in “sending a clear message duty rooms, and 778 wash-
that the era of academic freedom is rooms have been added to
now over”. “The messaging is quite 34 state government hospi-
clear from IITs, IIMs, and other elite tals at a cost of Rs.113.
institutions: academic excellence is However, these conces-
excellence in getting top ranks, keep- sions have not mollified all
ing out of controversies, and submit- protesting trainee doctors.
ting reports on time… Institutions RG Kar trainees: expanded movement Citing delay in implemen-
ought to become what we expect tation of reforms, some of
individuals in a democratic society to From RG Kar, the protest move- them started a fast-unto-death protest
be. The idea of a university is one of ment of PGI doctors has expanded to on October 4. The protesters’ charge
a conscience keeper of society, they cover maladministration and corrup- that the “political system” is denying
retain within themselves the very tion in over half a dozen medical col- the common man the right to health,
essence of what a democracy ought leges statewide. Allegations are flying has evoked significant public support
to be”. thick and fast about doctors affiliated with eminent medical practitioners,
Evidently India’s HEIs are in- with the ruling Trinamool Congress’ authors, activists, actors and direc-
creasingly becoming content with (TMC) youth wing coercing students tors, as well as office-bearers of the
teaching about democracy rather into participating in TMC political ral- Indian Medical Association (IMA)
than practicing it. lies, favouritism in examinations and supporting their hunger strike. The
Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru) hiring processes. protesting junior doctors’ charge that
However a unique feature of these the system commercialises healthcare
WEST BENGAL protest movements is that thus far, with the collusion of politicians and
Emerging reforms they have been apolitical. They have business interests, has struck a reso-
brought the educated middle class,
nant chord within the intelligentsia.
esponding to the junior doctors’
consensus civil society as well as the proletariat esced to meet a delegation of 17 junior
together. Consequently, some politi- Rhunger strike, Banerjee acqui-
cal pundits are predicting the exciting
eventy-one days after the an- possibility of a united coalition of stu- doctors on October 21. After a two-
gry Post Graduate Trainee dents, professionals and the common hour live streamed meeting at Naban-
S(PGT) doctors’ movement man, which could emerge as a politi- na, the state secretariat, she accepted
which started on August 10 as a pro- cal front that will clean up corrupt, their renewed demands, including
test against official negligence that exploitative party-based politics in removal of several state health min-
resulted in the horrific rape and mur- Bengal. istry top brass from their positions,
der of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at With all her attempts to label the sanctioned another Rs.100 crore for
the government-run RG Kar Medical protest movement as a CPM, Congress infrastructure development in hospi-
College and Hospital in Kolkata, the or BJP conspiracy against the ruling tals for doctors, reconstituting patient
issue is still making media headlines TMC government failing, chief min- welfare committees, incorporating
in the city. Except that the movement ister Mamata Banerjee has been elected student representatives in the
has broadened into protests against obliged to concede some demands of governing committees of medical col-
negligent administration, inadequacy the protesting doctors. On September leges and hospitals, and establishing a
of medical infrastructure, security 16, she accepted a five-point charter of special task force to respond to safety-
risk, corruption in hospital contracts demands placed before her and on Oc- security measures in hospitals.
and services, malpractices in academ- tober 1, she constituted a five-member Even cynical academics in Kol-
ics, political control and exploitation inquiry committee headed by Sudesh- kata are according serious weightage
of medical institutions, and appall- na Gupta, senior special secretary of to this sustained agitation of junior
ing working conditions for junior and the health ministry, to investigate doctors. They highlight that student
trainee doctors. the demands. Meanwhile following uprisings have often catalysed major

20 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2024